Blue Zones - what research on centenarians teaches us about longevity

Introduction

In 2005, American journalist and researcher Dan Buettner published an article in National Geographic that changed how the Western world talks about aging. He described five regions in the world where an unusually high number of people lived beyond 100 years: Ikaria in Greece, Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Loma Linda in California.

He called them Blue Zones, after the color he used to mark them on a map. Since then, the concept has migrated into the wellness industry, restaurants, cookbooks, Netflix documentaries, and countless podcasts. "Eat like a 100-year-old" has become its own mini-genre.

But behind the hype, there is both solid research and some intriguing critical voices. In this guide, we go through what Blue Zones actually are, what the research really shows, what the critics say, and what you can practically take away—without moving to Sardinia.

The five Blue Zones - a quick overview

Each region has its own character, but they all share a significantly higher proportion of people over 100 than the global average:

Ikaria, Greece. A small mountainous Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Mediterranean diet, lots of greens, herbs, honey, wine, and walking on hills.

Okinawa, Japan. Southern Japan. Tradition of "hara hachi bu" (eat until 80% full), lots of vegetables, sweet potatoes, and tofu. Strong connection to social networks (moai).

Sardinia, Italy. Specifically the Nuoro province in the mountains. A pastoral society with daily physical activity, homemade bread, beans, sheep and goat cheese, and local Cannonau wine.

Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. Latin American coast. Simple diet with corn, beans, and squash. Strong family culture and plan de vida - life plan/purpose.

Loma Linda, California. Seventh-day Adventists - a religious group with a vegetarian diet, no alcohol or tobacco, Sabbath rest, and a strong community.

Power 9 - the nine habits that unite the Blue Zones

Buettner and his research team identified nine lifestyle habits that recur in all five regions. These have become known as the "Power 9":

1. Move naturally. Not gym-based exercise, but physical activity built into daily life: walking, gardening, taking the stairs.

2. Have a purpose. Ikigai in Japan, plan de vida in Nicoya. Having a reason to get up in the morning is linked to lower stress and better health.

3. Wind down. Ritualized breaks for stress relief—siestas, prayer, tea ceremonies.

4. Eat until 80% full. Hara hachi bu—the practice of not eating until you are stuffed.

5. Focus on plant-based foods. Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas) are central to all five regions.

6. Moderate wine consumption (except in Loma Linda). 1–2 glasses of wine with meals is common to four of the zones.

7. Belong to a community. Religious or spiritual affiliation is linked to increased longevity in studies.

8. Family first. Close relationships with parents, partners, and children.

9. The right social circle. The people you spend time with shape your habits more than you think.

Nutrition in the Blue Zones - what they actually eat

Diet is perhaps what has received the most attention. Here is what consistently recurs:

Legumes every day. Beans, lentils, and chickpeas. Often the foundation of the main meal.

A handful of nuts a day. Almonds, walnuts, and peanuts, depending on the region.

Whole grains and nutrient-rich carbohydrates. Sourdough bread, quinoa, corn, sweet potatoes, and rice.

Leafy greens and vegetables in abundance. Wild greens in Ikaria, sweet potato leaves in Okinawa, and kale and spinach in Sardinia.

Local berries and fruit. Figs, pomegranates, olives, and citrus.

Fish in moderate amounts. Primarily in Ikaria and Okinawa.

Meat very rarely. If eaten, it is in small portions, not as the main ingredient.

Coffee and tea rich in polyphenols. Turkish coffee in Ikaria, green tea in Okinawa.

The dietary pattern resembles what research into the Mediterranean diet and traditional Japanese cuisine has shown to be linked to a lower risk of many age-related conditions.

The criticism - what recent research says

This is where the nuance comes in. In 2024, British researcher Saul Justin Newman published work questioning the quality of demographic data from the Blue Zones. According to his analysis, a high proportion of "supercentenarians" (people over 110 years old) often correlates with:

• Poor record-keeping and missing birth certificates
• High levels of poverty and illiteracy
• Potential pension fraud (people registered as alive after death)
• Late registration and incorrect data

Newman received the 2024 Ig Nobel Prize for his insights—a humorous but respectful award for research that "first makes people laugh, then think."

Does this mean Blue Zones are complete nonsense? No. It means some of the most dramatic figures regarding extreme longevity should be taken with a grain of salt, while the underlying lifestyle habits studied are still strongly supported by other research—the Mediterranean diet, social bonds, purpose in life, plant-forward eating, and regular low-intensity movement.

In other words: the people might not always be exactly 105 years old. But what they eat, how they move, and how they live together are still worth learning from.

What you can take away—regardless of data quality

Here are the most practical Blue Zones-inspired habits you can implement starting tomorrow:

1. Legumes at least once a day. Swap out some of your meat or carbohydrates for beans, lentils, or chickpeas. Fiber, protein, nutrient density.

2. Build a "moai"—a small group you meet with regularly. Social networks are one of the most evidence-based predictors of long-term health.

3. Move naturally throughout the day. Take the stairs. Bike to the store. Take a call while walking instead of sitting.

4. Find your "ikigai." What gets you out of bed in the morning? Having an answer is in itself linked to better health markers.

5. Eat until you are 80% full. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry—not when you are stuffed.

6. Prioritize your relationships. Invite someone over for dinner. Call an old friend. Go for a walk with a neighbor.

There is no miracle in the Blue Zones. Just the same healthy habits that appear throughout all longevity research—reinforced by a shared culture that makes living that way easy.

Summary

Blue Zones have provided us with an appealing narrative on how people can live long, healthy lives—and despite criticism regarding certain demographic data, many of the lifestyle habits are a solid, evidence-based foundation for healthy aging. Legumes, greens, social networks, purpose, moderate movement, and reasonable portion sizes are recurring themes.

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Sources

• Buettner D, Skemp S – Blue Zones: Lessons From the World's Longest Lived (American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine)
• Poulain M et al. – Identification of a Geographic Area Characterized by Extreme Longevity in the Sardinia Island (Experimental Gerontology)
• Willcox DC et al. – The Okinawan diet: health implications of a low-calorie, nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich dietary pattern
• Newman SJ – Supercentenarian and remarkable age records exhibit patterns indicative of clerical errors and pension fraud (bioRxiv 2024)
• Fraser GE – Vegetarian diets and cardiovascular risk factors in black members of the Adventist Health Study-2
• Sofi F et al. – Adherence to Mediterranean diet and health status: meta-analysis (BMJ)
• Holt-Lunstad J et al. – Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review
• Hitokoto H, Wirtz D – Ikigai and mortality in Japanese adults (Journal of Psychosomatic Research)
• Panagiotakos DB et al. – Sociodemographic and lifestyle statistics of oldest old people (>80 years) living in Ikaria island (Cardiology Research and Practice)
• Swedish Food Agency – Dietary Guidelines